


The Five Steps of Persevering: How to Survive an Ancient Egyptian Home Invasion

by evexe-n (manatsuko)



Series: Stepping Stones [3]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: (implied) Scandalshipping, Domestic, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Past Character Death, Pining, Prideshipping, Slow Burn, Threesome - M/M/M, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, stoicshipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-11 20:55:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10474242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manatsuko/pseuds/evexe-n
Summary: The fic where I try to make Set and Seto play nice.---In hindsight, allowing a bunch of Ancient Egyptians into his house might have been a Bad Idea.Too bad they don't make survival guides for this oddly specific Invasion of the Living Dead.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A 5+1 fic that turned longer than expected, again. Why do I keep doing this?  
> If you clicked on this without reading the first part, you might want to do that first, it'll make things easier.

 

 

0.

 

You'd think that Seto Kaiba, CEO of Kaiba Corporation and one of the greatest duelists alive, would be used to anything by now. Attempted hostile takeovers? Murder attempts? _Shadow magic_? Been there, done that.

He managed to bring his rival back from the dead, for crying out loud.

What none of his calculations had accounted for, was the possibility that Atem's friends wanted to tag along. Of course they would.

However... Atem had looked conflicted before that point, torn between leaving and staying, Kaiba could tell. If bringing his friends along was what it took to get Atem back, then the additional effort was worth it.

Even if it meant that he now had five Ancient Egyptians living in his home. None of whom had any idea how to be a well-adjusted person, in modern society or otherwise.

 

0.5. Set

 

Kaiba is trying very hard to ignore his not-quite-doppelganger's existence.

Considering they were stuck living in the same house, this feat was not as easy as one would think.

Kaiba was willing to put up with him for Atem's sake, but anything other than that? He refused. Destiny and fate could go fuck themselves. There was no way he was even remotely connected to that priest.

 

1\. Mana

 

In and of itself, Mana wasn't that hard to get used to, Kaiba thought.

She reminded him somewhat of a more chipper and less restrained version of Mokuba. Usually, he saw her hanging around Mahad or Atem, words going a mile a minute. Sometimes she could even be spotted talking amicably to - Kaiba grimaced - Set and Kisara, though those conversations were more one-sided.

Kaiba wondered though. Once, when he'd woken up from one of his less pleasant dreams, he had walked to the kitchen only to find her baking... _something_. At 4 a.m. in the morning. Kaiba knew that she was the fastest among her friends to master the kitchen equipment, with Mahad in a close second place, but that didn't mean he understood why she was wide awake and baking at this hour.

She greeted him like usual - cheerful, though a bit wary - before turning her back to him. She continued adding things to the dough while humming.

It felt forced.

Kaiba hadn't gotten a good look at her face, but he was more than familiar with the tenseness visible in her shoulders, the way her unkempt hair stood every which way, not to mention the dark circles under her eyes.

Her entire demeanor screamed of a lack of sleep. More specifically, she was acting the way Mokuba would when he'd have night terrors, only she seemed to default to baking instead of games or coding.

She wasn't Mokuba, but the scene was so reminiscent of him, Kaiba couldn't help but feel sympathy.

But she wasn't Mokuba, so he had no idea what to do.

Mana never spoke to him much without one of her other friends near. They definitely weren't close enough for him to break a topic like this.

He pondered his options for a bit, and sighed. It wasn't like he was going back to sleep anyway.

His chair scraped over the floor as he got up, startling Mana into quickly glancing over at him. She spilled some flour in the process.

He didn't bother turning the lights in the hallway on as he went to get his laptop from his study. If he was going to be sitting there for who knows how long, he might as well be productive.

Mana nearly dropped the baking tray when he walked back into the room, clearly not having expected him to return. She stumbled out an apology for the mess, too loud and shrill for the silence surrounding them. Kaiba was more amused than annoyed.

Ensuring her to not worry about it, someone would be coming by to clean later that morning, he put his laptop down on the table. Mana managed to get the tray where she wanted it, starting to put the dough on it in somewhat-even portions. She resumed her humming, still the same melody as before. It sounded like a lullaby, strangely soothing if not for the way her voice would crack on certain notes.

The noise the coffee machine made as Kaiba turned it on caught her attention, no doubt because it was the only thing she had no idea how to use. For a moment, Kaiba thought she might actually ask about it, start a conversation, or just straight up burst into tears.

She didn't.

She just went back to what she was doing before, ignoring him completely.

Kaiba cursed his own inability to deal with people being upset, something he didn't think he'd ever have to do. Why did he have to live with a bunch of people that didn't seem very good at this coping thing? He was possibly the least qualified person in the house to give advice when it came to mental health.

Giving up entirely on the idea of _talking_ , he grabbed an extra cup, contemplating what to do with it. Mokuba liked hot chocolate when upset. That was a pretty general thing for most people, right? Making warm drinks to feel better after nightmares?

Trying it wouldn't hurt, in any case.

Fed up with the uncomfortable silence, he tweaked some buttons on the radio, filling the air with actual music. For once, he was glad Mokuba insisted on keeping that old thing on the counter.

The voices of singers, then radio hosts, mingled with the sound of coffee brewing, the oven's timer being turned on, and the clink of a spoon against ceramic.

When the he judged the drink passable, he surreptitiously slid it next to her on the counter, taking his own cup and moving back to the table immediately afterwards. He opened his laptop and set to work.

Mana stared at the mug like she didn't know what to do with it. She looked at him. Back at the cup.

He kept his expression blank.

When she picked it up and took a sip at last, still with her back turned, Kaiba swore she was shaking slightly. She held the cup close with both hands instead of putting it down again. Her eyes slid towards the clock, not the timer on the oven, but the digital one on the wall proclaiming the exact time and date in three different time zones.

She took another gulp, sniffling loudly.

When the cookies finally left the oven, their shape and overall look was suspicious to say the least. But Mana had regained some color in her face and smiled as she offered him some.

Luckily, they tasted better than they looked.

 

1.5. Set

 

That damn priest seemed to have made it his mission to be as intrusive as possible. He was _everywhere_. Talking with Atem over the breakfast table, sitting in mutual silence with Mahad in the library, interrupted every so often by Mana who'd come to talk over whatever new discovery she'd made. In the kitchen, making himself some tea Kaiba couldn't even pronounce the name of.

It wasn't just that he inserted himself into every space of the mansion physically. No, everywhere Kaiba looked, he'd encounter reminders of the other's presence. Used teacups in the sink, bookmarked novels on tables or the floor next to the couch, a piece of jewelry that was too sober to belong to Atem and not the right style for anyone else on the coffee table. Nothing was put back in its proper place. At least Kisara had the decency to keep her special brand of chaos confined to _her own room_ and _organized_. Set's belongings, on the other hand, kept creeping into every nook and cranny of the mansion. What did he think gave him the right? This was Kaiba's home, not his.

He drew the line at that bastard stealing his clothes. There'd been already too many comparisons of the two of them. Anyone from Yugi and his friends - _'Wow, he does look a lot like you'_ and _'God, now we have to deal with_ two _of him'_ \- to Atem himself. The latter probably didn't even realize he was doing it. His comments usually involved nothing more than little, everyday things - like their preference in shampoo or the books they read - but they cut all the more for it.

If Atem insisted on calling Kaiba his friend, it better be because of himself, not some washed out memory of the past that happened to bear a striking resemblance to him.

Even if said memory was alive and well in their house.

 

2\. Kisara

 

Out of all the recent not-Atem additions to the household, Kaiba liked Kisara best. Contrary to Atem's belief, it wasn't merely because she resembled his precious Blue Eyes White Dragon. It was because she respected boundaries.

She didn't try to bother him when he was obviously busy or made awkward attempts at small talk. Not to mention, she didn't get involved in any of his arguments with Set. The priest may be her best friend, but at least she had the common sense to not pick a fight with the man providing their housing. Or whatever reason she had to steer clear of that situation.

Kisara was good at coexisting, Kaiba would say. Definitely a free spirit that comes and goes when and where she pleases, but so far didn't step on any toes while doing so.

The hoarding was unexpected though. The first - and last - time the cleaning staff tried tidying her room, it ended in her throwing a chair at them. It left quite a nasty dent in the wall too. From that moment on Kaiba decided to let her be responsible for cleaning her own spaces and hoped for the best. It was working out so far.

In fact, she didn't like people getting close in general. Kaiba could understand the feeling.

Her friends were another matter though.

She seemed to like braiding Mana's hair, working out the knots and tangles and weaving it with deft fingers. Mahad was offered sympathetic pats on the shoulder whenever he was running damage control for Mana's latest idea. She fell asleep against Set during movie nights and affectionately poked Atem whenever they walked past each other.

Kaiba came home one day to her putting multi-colored clips in Mokuba's hair while he explained the rules of CapMon to Mana.

It was nice to have Kisara around.

 

2.5. Set

 

There was no way the priest wasn't doing this on purpose. No way he _accidentally_ showed up in every room Kaiba walked in to.

It could be argued that _of course_ they would run into each other in communal areas like the kitchen or living room, not to mention the game nights Mana insisted on organizing, but he refused to believe it was _coincidence_ letting them continuously meet in the library, the hallway - _any_ hallway - or any of the normally unused sitting rooms. He even spotted him in some far-off secluded spot in garden that he'd been fairly sure nobody else knew about. It drove him up the wall. He was suddenly irrationally grateful that everyone had their own private bathroom.

The only rooms deemed safe and Set-free were the gym room, Kaiba's own bedroom - he'd installed a new lock after the clothes-stealing incident - and his office. He'd just have to work with that.

He'd never admit it, but he changed his work-out routine purely because he wanted more time to himself. The others rarely used the gym, either because they couldn't be bothered or because they preferred the outdoors.

Moreover...This was something only Kaiba had, something that could never belong to _him_. His body, alike as it might be to the priest's at first glance, was wholly, beyond a shadow of doubt, his own.

To deny any resemblance at all would be a fool's errand, but how anyone that saw both of them more than a split second could still think they were alike, was beyond him. There were plenty of differences.

The most obvious one was naturally their skin tone, _their ethnicity_. You'd almost think nobody on this planet could differentiate between different shades of blue - their eyes - or brown - their hair - either. Kaiba had seen the other enough by now to know that his own jaw was sharper, but Set's lips were thicker. Set's shoulders were fractionally wider than his; something barely noticed because Kaiba's training ensured his muscle mass stood out more defined. The priest's clothing accentuated the fact his waist was more tapered. Moreover, their stance, mannerisms and overall expression weren't alike in any way.

So what if their frowns were nearly identical? So what if they had the same basic build?

Kaiba couldn't imagine doing half the things Set did either. Reading, sure, fine, but lately the Egyptian had worked his way through all decent historical fiction in the house and somehow gotten hold of books bearing titles and covers suspiciously like harlequin romances. _The Talisman Ring of Amenhotep_ , was he serious? Moreover, the sound he made that one time Kisara pinched him in the side unexpectedly was just downright embarrassing. He even got involved with a prank that Mana played on Mahad earlier this very week, of all the childish-

Not to mention that annoying laughter of his.

It wasn't particularly loud or shrill, but it grated on Kaiba's nerves. The worst part was that it happened _all the time_. It'd float down the hall when Mana tickled him, come out in sudden bursts when Mahad tripped over something, and spluttering when Atem made a joke. 

Even if said joke was at the priest's expense, he'd laugh as his face turned red and he retaliated in kind. Those expressions he showed Atem were nothing like Kaiba's own.

The way Set looked at Atem in general was-

Kaiba kicked a training ball.

Not. Alike. Whatsoever.

 

3\. Mahad

 

Mahad was... Complicated.

Kaiba didn't know how else to put it. Mahad was never outright rude or antagonistic towards him, but he didn't interact much with Kaiba at all. The ones he spent most of his time with were - unsurprisingly - Mana and Atem. Of the three of them, Mahad was probably the one with the most common sense, and responsible for putting a stop to some of the more outrageous prank-plans Kaiba had caught wind of.

Though he strongly suspected the magician was actively involved with the ones continuously sticking pictures of various other Duel Monsters over every Blue Eyes object in the house. It took the cleaning staff ages to get rid of those.

Overall, Mahad's presence was relatively easy to adapt to. He leaned towards the overprotective side when it came to both his former disciple and his former pharaoh, something Kaiba could appreciate. Those two definitely needed all the protection they could get, with the amount of trouble they got themselves in on regular basis.

Whoever thought Atem would be quick to adjust because of his time in Yugi's body, they were wrong. None of them ever figured out how those two had gotten halfway to Nagoya last time they took a train, but Kaiba concluded that he was never letting them take public transport on their own again. Logistical matters were left to either Kaiba himself, Mokuba, or Mahad now.

Possibly Kisara when they ran out of options.

Mokuba liked Mahad too, as far as Kaiba could tell, if only to tease him with Dark Magician merchandise. The younger Kaiba had presented Mahad with an array of DM merch, ranging from the high quality Kaiba Land plushie line to cheap knock-off figurines that looked like someone melted them. They never failed to both mortify and amuse Mahad, who at most ruffled Mokuba's hair in retaliation. It turned out to be a pretty effective way of shutting Mokuba up, while still making him laugh. Kaiba approved. 

When it came to the last member of the household... Kaiba had never seen Mahad talk with Set for very long. He tended to joke around and mock the other priest for _'having a stick up his ass'_ \- who taught him that phrase? - but it never sounded truly malicious.

As far as Kaiba could tell, Mahad didn't get along very well with Set, but still respected him for some reason. The feeling seemed to be mutual too.

Kaiba had no idea how their accord worked in any way, shape, or form, but it did.

Thus Kaiba was slightly ticked off when he realized he was getting largely the same treatment as Set. Respectful distance was a thing he normally coveted, but considering the circumstances, it rubbed him the wrong way.

There wasn't any chance for him to change that though.

Until Mahad expressed interest in picking up his old training regimen.

As Kaiba was the only other person present with any interest in strength training - like hell he was going to be less than optimal in any aspect of his life - he was the one Mahad came to with his questions. About equipment in the gym room, what certain exercise-related terms meant, what training was most popular where in the world.

This last bit made Kaiba question Mahad's reasons for wanting to get back in the swing of things. Mana had been oddly taken with old martial arts movies Mokuba had showed her, in no small part thanks to the ample use of staffs and other improvised weapons. So in turn, she had shown them to Mahad.  

Who loved them.

This might've be a good time to consider upping the insurance for possible property damage by staff.

So far, nothing too disastrous had happened. Mahad started working out in the gym room, sometimes with Kaiba present, sometimes on his own. The only equipment he steered clear of was the treadmill, stating he preferred running outdoors in the fresh air.

Kaiba felt insulted at the implication that the air filters in the gym room weren't up to par.

He gradually started returning the other's attempts at talking, asking questions here and there and letting Mahad carry most of the conversation. This is how he eventually discovered that not just Mahad and other people charged with the pharaoh's safety, but all high ranking officials and priests were required to participate in combat training.

He wondered though, if all high of them were supposed to be trained in combat, did that mean...

"Even Mana?"

Mahad nodded in affirmation.

"Be glad she never hit you with a staff. Mean whacking power, she has."

Kaiba did a double take.

"Did you just-"

A smirk formed on Mahad's lips as he motioned with his fingers. "The Force is strong in that one."

Kaiba promptly turned around and went back inside.

First the martial arts, now this.

Introducing a bunch of Ancient Egyptians to modern pop culture had been a mistake.

 

3.5. Set

 

That asshole invaded the gym room. For _yoga_.

Kaiba winced, supporting more of his weight on the leg that hadn't taken a beating from a metal rack.

He was one hundred percent certain the priest had only taken up that exact space to practice out of spite. And as if that wasn't bad enough, he'd gotten Atem involved.

Likely, also to spite Kaiba.

He knew he wasn't being the most subtle with his affections for Atem lately, _he knew_ , but... He'd lost him, once. The least he could do now was try to express himself better, leaving no space for regret.

He couldn't put into words whatever tangle of emotions he experienced in those months when Atem had been gone. For the first in a long, long time, he _felt_ , so deeply he thought it might tear him apart.

He transformed it, directed it, controlled it in whatever way he could. Replaced the drive to _defeat_ with the drive to _find_.

_(Find what, exactly?)_

He'd thrown himself into his work, researching and refining ways to accomplish his goal. Planned, executed. The same old process he'd been doing for years.

Only, now the outcome had mattered on a level too personal to be comfortable with.

He succeeded, that was all that really counted in the end. Atem was back.

And doing yoga in his gym room with Set.

Damn that priest. He should've left him in Aaru.

At least there he wouldn't be able to waste Atem's free time, not to mention Kaiba's own. Keeping Set under constant surveillance was getting tiring, but Kaiba didn't trust him enough to cease. 

Why did Atem spend so much time with Set in the first place? While Set never outright rejected a challenge to duel, it was obvious he wasn't as passionate about the game as Atem and Kaiba were. The same went for any game, really. He only seemed to strive for victory out of sheer stubbornness to not be outdone, and not any genuine desire to be the best.

A nuance that made all the difference, in Kaiba's opinion.

So why did Atem continue to dedicate his time to talking with Set, playing games with Set, hanging out with Set? Set this, Set that, always _Set_.

Objectively, Kaiba could see that he spent about the same amount of time with Atem as the other did. It was different, though. Atem and he spent their hours dueling and taunting, bickering over any topic that crossed their minds.

It was engaging, exhilarating, captivating.

When they were together, Atem would sneer and frown and grin mischievously. Kaiba registered every emotion that flitted across his face, dedicated to committing it to memory properly this time. It was everything his AI had failed to recreate.

In a heartbeat, Atem's expression could turn from cheerful to dismayed to pinched in concentration.

He rolled his shoulders, back kept straight, fingers tapping in tune with the rhythm of a song that only he heard.

He'd _laugh_ , head thrown back and teeth bared, like something wild, ferocious and dangerous in their beauty.

But then, Atem would laugh at Set too. It was _different_.

It was soft. Little snickers at jokes and giggles of glee when he won a game. If the way Atem reacted to Kaiba was wildfire, then the attention Set received was the warmth of a hearth.

Safe.

Gentle.

Kind.

Everything Kaiba couldn't be. Everything Kaiba didn't _want_ to be.

Yet Atem seemed to enjoy it.

Kaiba sat down on the nearest chair, cursing his luck, and the priest responsible for it. 

 

4\. Atem

 

It didn't take long for Atem to find Kaiba after his rather embarrassing episode in the gym. Kaiba didn't know if he should be happy that Atem had abandoned his little rendezvous with Set to check on him, or irritated because Atem thought Kaiba couldn't take care of himself. The former pharaoh did tend to worry more about others' health and safety than his own. He strode over to where Kaiba was sitting, presenting him with an ice pack.

A grimace crossed Kaiba's face, distaste audible in his voice, "I don't need-"

"Yes," Atem interrupted, nearly shoving the pack in his face, "You do. It'll prevent swelling, now shut up and apply it, before I'm forced to do it myself."

Kaiba grumbled but took the ice, opting for the lesser of two evils. As tempting as the image of Atem kneeling in front of him was, Kaiba highly doubted he could put up with the indignity.

Not to mention, he was still feeling the aftereffects of the scene he'd walked in on.

The eye-full he'd gotten already caused enough embarrassment, thank you, he didn't need Atem to discover exactly what Kaiba thought of him in tight-fitting yoga pants on top of that.

He pressed the ice against his shin, careful not to flinch at the sensation.

Well, it prevented swelling alright.

Atem appeared pleased with Kaiba's lack of protest and pulled up another chair. He sat down, keeping his gaze on Kaiba and weighing his next words. Kaiba sensed he wasn't going to like it one bit.

"What exactly _is_ your problem with Set?" 

Proven correct once again.

Kaiba huffed, but didn't dignify the other with a reply. 

"I mean, your first meeting aside, he hasn't shown you any real animosity, especially since you brought all of us here. He's trying."

If 'trying' constituted messing with Kaiba however he could, then sure he was.

"Because you asked him to?" Kaiba sneered back.

Atem shifted in his chair, staring at him in thinly veiled disbelief. "Not everyone needs to be told to act civil to actually do so, Kaiba." A sigh escaped him. "No, I didn't ask him to. He's smart enough to realize how much we owe you for bringing us back, together no less."

The words echoed in Kaiba's mind.

_Together no less._

Oblivious to Kaiba's increasing frustration, Atem continued, "I know you're not the most forgiving sort, but first impressions aren't everything."

Approaching this from an angle that was supposed to remind Kaiba of their own first meeting wouldn't help either. They'd both been younger then. They changed.

"And Mokuba likes him", Atem finally added, as if that decided everything.

"Mokuba likes a lot of people."

"Compared to you, you mean?"

Kaiba swatted at Atem's arm with his free hand. He barely grazed him, but the sting in his own fingertips remained, electrified by the contact.

Atem tapped the sides of their feet together. There was no doubt in Kaiba's mind that Atem would have gone for a kick to his shin if it hadn't been hurt. Although, Atem didn't pull away again, instead stretching both legs in front of Kaiba's own.

Kaiba could've kicked them away.

He didn't. 

"Mokuba wouldn't befriend anyone he considered to have bad intentions towards himself, or you. I know you like to think _you're_ protecting _him_ , but in reality, he's just as protective of you."

Kaiba was aware, but he preferred not to think about it too long. He'd gotten an extensive talking-to from Mokuba the first time he'd returned from Aaru. His just desserts for not explicitly promising to return, he guessed. Not that he had been able to guarantee it at the time. He wouldn't make false promises, least of all to Mokuba. He deserved better.

Apparently, Atem had gotten fed up with his silence.

"Look, I'm not saying you need to become best friends overnight, just, talk to him every once in a while. You know, as opposed to glaring a hole in his back whenever you're in the same room."

Kaiba bit his tongue to prevent himself from lashing out. Atem wasn't the cause of his anger, he _wasn't_.

_(Not completely)_

Kaiba could deal with him being here, in Kaiba's house, spending time with Set instead of him.

_(He couldn't)_

Hadn't he told himself before that it would be enough to just have Atem back? He wouldn't ask for more.

_(He wanted to)_

_(He ached to)_

He was not risking it.

Atem stood up, stretching his arms above his head and popping his shoulders. His shirt rode up ever so slightly. Kaiba kept his gaze firmly stuck to his own feet.

"I want a snack." Atem declared in his Serious Pharaoh Voice. "Is there cereal left?"

Kaiba had given up following the other's train of thought and rolled with the subject change.

"There should be, it was restocked yesterday. But we're out of spoons."

Quite literally so. He suspected they found a new home in Kisara's ever growing collection.

Atem waved his objection away. "I'll use a fork."

"That's not-" He left his sentence unfinished. Atem had turned the corner, and Kaiba didn't feel up to pursuing him to argue about cutlery usage, of all things.

He was _not_ in love with this infuriating idiot. Maybe if he kept insisting on that, it'd become reality.

If it had been only physical attraction, ignoring it would've been so much easier. The body could be controlled, while the mind wandered and the heart hoped. It was disgusting.

He hadn't had this issue before Atem. He had found people to be aesthetically pleasing sometimes, but never felt this desire that came with it. To lean closer, always; to touch; to kiss. Even now, there was a clear distinction between Atem and the rest of their housemates.

Mana had adorable eyes and a nice laugh, light and tinkling, but the only thing that resulted in was the rare urge to hug her.

Mahad had a pretty symmetrical and overall flawless face, making Kaiba wonder if he'd really never broken his nose during a fight, like he claimed.  

Kisara looked ethereal with her flowing silver hair, but that didn't automatically mean he wanted to run his fingers through it. He was rather attached to the appendages.

He'd have called Set attractive too, if he'd been anyone else. From a general point of view, Kaiba could understand why people would consider him handsome. His body was lithe and toned, and though Kaiba's skintight shirts probably left little to the imagination as well, Set's wardrobe seemed to consist of exclusively short-sleeved and sleeveless shirts to accentuate the curve of his biceps.

He was going to regret that once winter hit them, and Kaiba would enjoy every second of it.

So yes, only Atem had this much of an effect on Kaiba, though he couldn't pinpoint what exactly made him so much more irresistible.  

Unbidden, he got an image of Atem and Set in the gym earlier. He flipped the icepack over and pressed it into the bruise again, harder. Kaiba's fingers were going numb from the cold, but he was not sitting up straight any time soon. 

He considered how much longer he could get away with _not_ talking to Set.

Knowing Atem, not very long.

 

4.5. Set

 

As expected, it took a few days at most before Atem started to push him into situations where he couldn't avoid the damn priest. Mana was in on it too, if the sudden rise of 'bonding activities' was any indicator.

Take yesterday for example. She'd convinced him to take the lot of them to Kaiba Land. Never mind that Saturdays were always busy for the park to start with, and that trying to navigate the grounds without losing anyone in the crowd was near impossible.

Count in the fact that Atem and Mana kept pairing up on two-seater rides, Mahad declared himself designated keeper of luggage, and Kisara had gone off to explore the souvenir shops exactly ten minutes into their visit, dragging Mokuba along. They were not trying to be subtle about this at all. At least Set was quiet and didn't actively bother him, even when they got paired together _again_ on a ride thanks to the Mischief Duo.

And then it started raining to the point where they couldn't see five meters ahead of them. Mana cheerfully pointed out that it drastically cut down lines. They didn't even need to stand in line, Kaiba owned the place. Why did he hang out with these people?

After an hour of evading rain by getting food and browsing stores, he put his foot down and declared they were going home. They arrived damp and shivering.  

And then Kaiba caught a cold.

Not the type of cold that gave you a fever and put you out of commission for days on end, no. His limbs felt heavier than usual and his nose was clogged most of the time, but he could still go about his day.

What really bugged him was the never-ending coughing.

No matter what he did, it wouldn't stop. He'd woken up several times that night alone because of it. His throat felt like sandpaper. Cough drops helped, but there were only so many he could take of those in a day.

He felt miserable, to be honest.

He could feel a headache coming on, so he closed his laptop and decided he'd done enough for the day. At least the house was quiet. Atem, Mana and Mahad had gone to visit Yugi, who was home from college for the weekend. They mentioned going to the mall to meet up with the rest of Yugi's friends too. Kaiba spared a passing thought for the mutt, and if he'd still be working there. It was unlikely, but an amusing image nonetheless. Mokuba had followed their example, and gone to hang out with a few kids he knew from school. This left Kisara and Set, neither of whom were as boisterous as the others.

Kaiba closed his office door behind him and walked down to the kitchen, albeit somewhat sluggish. Being sick was the worst. A waste of time and draining all of a person's energy. He hated it. It made him move on autopilot.

Descend stairs.

Enter kitchen.

Fill glass with water.

Sit down.

Take painkiller.

Even the little pill chafed. He swallowed uncomfortably, working his throat in the idle hope that it'd ease the irritation.  

Kaiba rubbed his eyes, squinting against the light coming from the window. Drawing the blinds would require him to stand up again though.  

He crossed his arms and rested his forehead on top of them. There, solved. No painful brightness like this. Besides, nobody was going to see him, he could afford to stay like this for a while, right? It wouldn't hurt...

A kettle whistled.

He blinked.

Shit.

Had he fallen asleep?

Footsteps alerted him to another person in the room. No clacking noises though, so not Kisara.

Great. Set walked in on him sleeping at the table. Wonderful.

But Kaiba couldn't be bothered to move. The damage was done anyway. Set could do whatever the hell he was here for, as long as he left Kaiba alone.

A sweet, yet subtle smell wafted through the air.

Ah, making tea then. None of the house's inhabitants aside from Set drank tea regularly, so it wasn't hard to guess. He kept his head down, nearly dozing off again.

A soft thud of something being put on the table.

He looked up.

A mug of tea had appeared in front of him.

Kaiba looked at it as if it had personally wronged him.

"It's licorice root," Set said, "For your throat." He looked nonplussed as ever, his own cup still in his hand. For a second, Kaiba thought he might speak up again, adding a snarky comment or a jab at Kaiba's current sorry state. It's what he would've done in the other's place.

Set sighed, "At least try some, before you pour it down the drain."

With that, he took off, his own drink - and from the look of it, a few biscuits - in hand.

Kaiba was more than a little confused. The tea smelled nice though, and he doubted Set would do something as drastic as poisoning him in his own home.

Careful not to burn his tongue, he took a sip.

It tasted okay, if a little too sweet.

Didn't explain why Set gave it to him in the first place, but he'd find out sooner or later.

After he had slept.

Sleep sounded good.

\---

The next morning, Set passed him another steaming cup of tea. "Sage with honey", he said, taking a bite from his toast.

Kaiba let out a sigh, but took the cup. He was still clueless as to why Set took the trouble of making tea for a guy he couldn't stand. Kaiba didn't particularly like tea either, so it didn't make any sense. He categorized it as a first instance of 'Set trying to play nice', as Atem had said.

Alright then. Two could play that game.

He sat down at the table and pulled up the news on his phone.

Kaiba could try being civil with Set.

For Atem.

 

5\. Seto Kaiba

 

It was easier after that to tolerate Set's presence in the house.

They interacted more, albeit a bit stunted. When Set showed an interest in music, Kaiba gave him several memory cards' worth of it, all organized neatly for easy searching. In return, Set lent him one of the novels he'd been reading.

The worn paperback's plot involved an attempted coup d'état and the most bland and forced romance Kaiba had ever read about. Kaiba only made it through the entire thing because of the notes Set had scribbled down every so often in the sidelines. The dry quips about any inaccurate portrayal of military tactics and the lackluster chemistry between the main characters were concise yet witty, and surprisingly amusing.

Kaiba may have added a few notes of his own before he returned the book.

So help him, he was starting to genuinely appreciate the guy.

Don't get him wrong, actually _talking_ to Set could still be a chore, and Kaiba got annoyed at comparisons and any implication they were one soul in two bodies. That much wouldn't change.

Set was not him.

Their opinions conflicted more often than not, especially when fate got brought up again. But, slowly, Kaiba came to admit they had more in common than he'd previously thought.

They despised losing, though their reasons may differ. Expressing emotions was a work in progress for both of them too, it seemed, the only thing they excelled at in that aspect being rage or annoyance. They were quick to anger and slow to forgive, and fiercely protective of those they cared about.   

They may not ever say it out loud, but they liked their housemates.

They loved Atem.

Kaiba could sense the impending disaster from miles away. Getting along with Set was turning out to be easier than expected, but he wasn't sure he could ever put up with it if Atem... If he chose...

No doubt that feeling was mutual, as well.

Kaiba found himself hoping the quiet would last. This calm before the storm where he could have a conversation with Set, and _not_ feel the need to strangle him on the spot.

So he avoided talking about Atem. So did Set.

The others were fair game though.

Kaiba started talking about Mokuba's progress in school and Set recounted Kisara's latest adventure with her sworn enemy, the neighbor's tiny Yorkshire Terrier that bit her in the ankle. When Mahad managed to punch a hole in the gym's drywall, Set listened to his complaints, though he found the whole affair rather amusing. Finding Mana asleep on the couch led to Set briefly hinting at her nightmares, and the events that caused them.

Kaiba was starting to see why she clung to Mahad and Atem so often.

He told happier stories too, of Mahad chasing Mana around the palace grounds, and Atem helping her hide. Sometimes about them hiding together to avoid duties.

In each and every story, Set barely ever said anything about his own involvement. Kisara never got mentioned at all, even though she was the high priest's closest friend and confidante here. Kaiba could guess what happened to her at that point, and left the topic alone. He never talked about his birth parents - or the adoptive one - and called it even.

A single time, when Atem had gotten their little rag-tag group of housemates to try some whiskey Anzu gifted him - _"She brought it with her from the States!"_ \- the priest alluded to the times after Atem sealed himself away.

Mokuba was the only person completely sober, on account of Kaiba expressly forbidding him to even go near the bottle. Or the beers that had somehow appeared as well.

Even so, he was having fun. He'd declared an unofficial game night, stating the need for games to go with the drinking. Kaiba insisted that no actual drinking games take place.

The last thing he needed was an Ancient Egyptian with alcohol poisoning.

Both Kaiba and Set opted out of Truth or Dare, and sat down a ways away from the others to get some much needed quiet. They were still in the rest's line of sight though. Kaiba wasn't letting any of them go unsupervised right now. Only Kisara had barely even touched her drink, after all.

He'd expected Set to pick up a book as usual. Instead, he poured himself another drink, nursing the glass with both hands. Kaiba hadn't taken Set for a melancholic drunk, nor a talkative one, but he'd been proven wrong before. The priest started off with light conversation. What Mahad and Atem had gotten up to earlier that day. Kisara's quest to explore every little antique store in town for more trinkets. Mana's latest experiment in the kitchen.

The tone of his voice was stable, emotionless. The only clues betraying Set's facade of nonchalance were his slurred-together words and the far-off look in his eyes.

"Mana, ah, how to say?" In any other circumstance, Kaiba would've found the absence of Set's eloquence funny. He'd never heard him stutter before.

"She's always been curious like that, even _after_ -" Words trailed off, replaced by some vague gestures Set deemed a sufficient stand-in for proper grammar.

"It's sort of ironic, we'd never spoken that much _before_ , and we didn't speak much _after_ either, but-"

He scratched his cheek, tilting his head down. His bangs obscured part of his eyes in this position. It gave him an air of vulnerability. Had Kaiba himself ever looked like this? After Atem-

Set cleared his throat. His next words came out slow, almost calculated. As if he had to force them past his lips, syllable by syllable.

"Whenever... whenever the political drivel drove me up the wall, I would go seek out Mana's workspace and-"

Another sip of his drink.

A pause.

"-and she'd tell her assistants to go home, and _talked_." He stretched the last word out too long, rubbed a hand through his hair. His slender fingers played around the edges of the glass.

"To me, to herself, to the walls, who knows. She would speak about everything and nothing."

He glanced over at Atem then, who had one hand shoved up Mahad's shirt, the latter clamoring in protest. Probably a Dare. Mana was laughing and cheering Atem on, Kisara pointedly ignoring the ruckus.

"If I closed my eyes, it was almost like the two of us weren't the only ones left in the room." And he did so, then, lost in memories of another time. Eyes shut, closed off to the present.

It was strange to think about for Kaiba, how Set and Mana - and anyone else that survived Zorc's first attack - had continued their lives without Atem around, growing up and growing old, but never quite moving on. They never had the options Kaiba had, the skill and resources needed to recover their friend. No possibility that he could return. No hope they'd meet again, even in the afterlife.

He took a drink. How did any of them _live_ with that?

Passively observing Mahad's futile attempts at controlling a more-than-tipsy Atem, Kaiba considered what to say. He'd never had to _endure_ for that long, a lifetime's worth. He couldn't even phantom it as a possible scenario. When Atem had seemed beyond reach, he'd...

He sighed, leaning closer to Set and hoping he wouldn't be overheard by the others. He could do this. One drunken confession for another.

"I built an AI, a projection to resemble Atem." Set blinked in confusion, but let him continue.

"It's a machine," Kaiba explained, "A cheap imitation."

A faulty replacement. Inadequate.

"It wasn't _real_."

Set gave him a strained, sad smile.

He understood.

Kaiba felt his stomach flip, a churning sensation crawling under his skin. He'd seen the other smile before, but never like _that_. It was raw and open, with no small amount of self-loathing. So achingly familiar yet completely alien.

Had Set ever shown this particular expression to Atem? Had someone else been able to see the pain written into every line of his body the way Kaiba could? Had they traced the tells; the shift of his eyes, tension gathered along shoulders, hands unnaturally still?

Kaiba himself had grown adept at controlling his image, but he hadn't considered that Set might've needed to do the same. He would've gotten used to putting up a more pleasant front for others at court. Ever the considerate leader, taking up his friend's inheritance.

The priest had settled back into the perfect image of serenity. Legs crossed, one hand still on the glass, another one propped under his chin. Face blank yet smug.

It felt like looking into a mirror.

If he moved his hand, would Set's as well? If the other stood up, would Kaiba follow?

Where did that clear divide between them go again?

Atem yelled something incomprehensible, most likely asking for help escaping Mahad's insistence he go sleep. Set laughed at them. His smile lingered long after the sound died down.

Kaiba wondered if Set's smile was anything like his own. Aside from a single childhood photograph, he couldn't recall ever seeing his own smile. Certainly not after Gozaburo.

If he had managed to hold on to more of his younger self, would his smile come as quick and easy as Set's? Would it stretch as wide? Would it reach his eyes as sincerely? He couldn't picture it at all, even though out of anything, their facial features were most alike.

With a shock, he realized he was still staring at Set. They were closer together than he remembered, bodies angled towards each other. He felt unbearably warm.

The world spun.

The alcohol must've been affecting him more than he thought.

What goal did it serve to consider such silly things? It wouldn't change anything.

He really was his own worst enemy sometimes. He'd been comparing himself to Set more than anyone else had ever done.

Except maybe Set himself.

Kaiba looked over to the other man again, slumped over in his chair, leaning both elbows on his knees now. For possibly the first time since they'd met, he really looked at _Set_. Not the reflection of his own flaws, but the person. Set looked tired and pensive, content but sullen. Riddled with contradictions. Overall, he looked normal, for a guy brought back from the dead into an unfamiliar time and place. Set was probably coping better with change than Kaiba would in his place.

Then again, Set had friends to support him, something that couldn't be said for-

Mana ran past, tackle-hugging Kisara on her way back from the kitchen. Mokuba luckily salvaged the snacks she'd been carrying. Mahad hit a uproariously laughing Atem over the head with a pillow. 

Ah.

Scratch that.

They had their friends to support them.

Kaiba mulled over the words, turning them over and examining them in the safety of his own mind. As weird as it sounded, they were his friends. This wasn't _'the closest Seto Kaiba would ever get to friendship'_ , it was the real thing.

Including game nights gone wrong and early mornings that were either spent in comfortable silence or complete chaos. Someone who offered him homemade cookies at 5 a.m. because he stuck around for her sleepless nights, someone that made bad pop culture references, and someone stealing all his personal belongings to decorate her room.

Someone Kaiba was not-hopelessly-in-love with and someone that was not-hopelessly-in-love with the same person.

He got a feeling he should be worried.

He wasn't.

They'd figure it out.

 

 

 

 

+1. Atem

 

Atem stormed in, the brusque slamming of the door startling both of the library's occupants. 

"Okay," he declared, "that's _it_!"

Set had jumped up from his seat, the book he'd been reading fallen to the ground. Kaiba hid his bewilderment better, but was none the wiser to what was going on.

"Did either of you have plans on Saturday afternoon?" Atem blurted out.

They stared at him in confusion. Then to each other. Back to Atem.

Set was the first to recover.

"Uhm, I did not." His voice rose, making the reply sound like a question of his own.

Kaiba wondered what this was all about. He really hoped it didn't include another outing with Yugi and his friends though; those always ended catastrophically.

"No," he replied as well, "it's my day off."

Atem nodded to himself.

"Good, consider it booked now."

Kaiba was getting fed up with the vague statements. Would it hurt Atem to be more straightforward?

"Mind explaining what's going on?"

Atem glared at him, as if the answer was obvious. "I'm feeling left out."

Was Atem actually pouting or was Kaiba seeing things? Somehow, he doubted Atem intended to sound as whiny as he did.

"Left out of what?" Set piped up.

"Of whatever's going on with you two." He waved his hand between the two others, continuing, "So I've decided to fix it. You, you, and me, Saturday, the arcade and then we'll go from there."

"Shouldn't we invite the others?" Kaiba shot a look over at Set. If he had to put up with an entire day of forced socializing because this damn priest couldn't keep his mouth shut, he really was going to throttle him.

Atem's responding "Nope" put him at ease. Whatever outing Atem had planned might turn out alright if it was only the three of them, and games.

But Set apparently _still_ hadn't gotten the clue.

"Why not?"

Atem smirked at them, looking from one to the other. He declared with a smile, "I'm not bringing the family along on a date."

Kaiba and Set shouted as one, in perfect unison, "A _what_?!"

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, hi, I'm evil and enjoy semi-cliffhangers. Stay tuned for the next part, in which we get Set's POV and actual relationship progression whoo!
> 
> My Tumblr: [ [evexe-n] ](https://evexe-n.tumblr.com)


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